NBA Picks and Predictions: Brooklyn Nets at L.A. Lakers

The Brooklyn Nets have crept into the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference, and boy have they been on fire. Yes, hold on to your seats, the Nets have won five out of its last 10 games, and in the East playing .500 ball constitutes being on fire. That’s a fair statement since only four of the 15 teams in the East are over .500. The Nets will blaze into the Staples Center to take on a beat up Lakers team that NBA oddsmakers still favor by 2-points over Jason Kidd’s Nets.

Somehow, and quite inexcusably, the Nets are a team that has trouble scoring. The team ranks 22nd in offense despite having a host of veterans capable of far better. That is, if they hadn’t all picked the same season to decline.

The Nets parted ways with Jason Terry, and that was just the first of admitting a failed project. Brook Lopez’ injury only has so much to do with the Nets struggles: Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett ought to be more than enough to forge a .600-type record. Nevertheless, Johnson made an All-Star team with very pedestrian numbers (15 points, 2 assists per game).

The Lakers are 19-36 and all but mathematically eliminated from the playoffs already. Even so, the Lakers do have young talent trying to earn a spot in the NBA, and Kendall Marshall has become one of the best D-League call-ups in recent history. The Lakers are a team in transition, but when healthy (and that may take until next season with Kobe Bryant still three weeks away from his next medical evaluation) it is a team that is far better than winning one-third of its games.

The Lakers acquired Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks at the trade deadline and both are promising guards that could help form the Lakers’ future. The same can be said of Jodie Meeks and Nick Young. The Lakers still may not play much defense, but unlike last year, it can’t all really be said to be underachievement. This team just lacks personnel, and with Kobe Bryant out it is every bit as poor as the Kings, Bucks and other bottom feeders. Young, Steve Nash, Kobe, Meeks and Xavier Henry are all injured, though Young is expected to play with a patella displacement.

BRO Trends: 4-0 ATS in last 4 following ATS loss; 6-1 ATS in last 7 vs teams with winning percentage below .400; UNDER 5-1 in last 6 vs teams with losing SU records.

LAL Trends: UNDER 7-0-1 in last 8 vs teams with losing SU records; 1-6 ATS in last 7 Sunday games; UNER 5-1 in last 6 after scoring 100 points or more in previous game.

Head-to-head: UNDER 3-0-1 in last 4 in Los Angeles; UNDER 9-1-1 in last 11 meetings; Nets 7-3-1 ATS in last 11 in Los Angeles.